The Fall of Earth
by Ock50
Summary: Chronicling the events between Half-Life and Half-Life 2 from the Resonance Cascade to the surrender of Earth. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Half-Life games nor do I own any of the characters and creatures that Valve created. All I own are my OCs.
1. Prologue

**The Fall of Earth **

**Prologue**

_Washington DC _

The sound of the phone ringing hammered in Henry Adams head as he struggled up to get it. What time was it even? He hadn't the faintest idea but he knew it was an hour he shouldn't be getting woken up at even if he was the President of the United States. He slowly picked up the receiver and held it to his ear.

"What is it?" he asked groggily.

"Mr. President, General Overbeck," answered the voice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"What is so important General that I need to be woken at this ungodly hour?" Adams demanded.

"Sir, we have a situation developing in New Mexico," the general answered.

"A situation General, what kind of situation?" asked Adams.

"Well sir, we've received a distress call from the Black Mesa Research Facility," he informed the President.

_Black Mesa, Black Mesa_ Adams thought to himself. He couldn't seem to recall a Black Mesa anywhere.

As if reading his mind General Overbeck spoke up. "Black Mesa is our top R and D facility. They are working on teleportation technology and experimental weapons for the US army," he told the President.

"What's happening down there?" asked Adams.

"We don't know at this juncture sir. We haven't heard a peep from them and that's what worries me."

"Alright, assemble the staff, Situation room, twenty minutes, I'm on my way," ordered Adams.

"Right away Mr. President," replied the General before hanging up.

_Twenty minutes later… _

Adams barged into the room flanked by Secret Service and sat down at the head of the table while Secret Service shut the door behind them. Situated around him were the four chiefs of staff.

"Welcome Mr. President," said General Overbeck who was the representative of the Marine Corps.

"Now that we're all here we can begin in earnest," he said before turning his attention to the large plasma screen monitor at the head of the room. An image of a black plateau surrounded by a black circle flashed on the screen.

"This is Black Mesa, a major corporation that covers a wide range of research and applied science. They research a wide range of fields from radiation to rocketry to lasers, robotics, genetics, chemistry and theoretical physics. They have many government contracts for various projects such as the development of high-tech new weapons for our armed forces."

A second image flashed across the screen, it was a picture of a man with short, white hair and a white beard.

"This man is Doctor Wallace Breen; he is the current Administrator of the Black Mesa Research Facility. He knows about all the secret projects that Black Mesa has undertaken, he could give us some idea of how this all happened."

"What about this distress call you received? I wish to hear it to assess our logical next step," said General Bradley Sheffield, the representative of the US Army.

"Of course," replied Overbeck who proceeded to hit a button on the universal remote in his hand.

"Thi…this is Doctor Stanley Rosenberg. I am one of the senior scientists on Project X, we conducted an experiment and it went horribly wrong. We need help now; I repeat we need help _now._" The feed cut out a second later and Overbeck turned off the monitor.

"We need to act now, before the situation escalates," suggested Fleet Admiral Kevin Carmine, the chief of staff of the US Navy.

"Well what do you propose we do?" inquired Adams.

"Sir, I suggest that we send in a special marine unit that was trained for this sort of mission," proposed Overbeck.

"I started this unit myself to deal with situations like this. They are called the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit and their stationed at Santego, not far from the Black Mesa facility."

"Alright, do it if that's what it takes to keep this situation under control. I don't want this turning into a major international incident. If the media got hold of this and ran with it, which they obviously would, it could easily jeopardize my presidency. The public would lose faith in their own government and we would look like dumb hicks who can't control their own domestic problems on the international stage. It would simply be the most shameful embarrassment of American power since the War of Independence," Adams rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair.

"The worst part is that we still have no idea what's happening down there," commented Major General Maria Clements, the representative of the US Army Air Force.

_One hour later… _

"Mr. President, we have formulated a plan that we think you will approve," said General Overbeck. Adams leaned forward and placed his hands on the shiny oak table in front of him.

"Go on," he said.

"We have decided to send in the HECU to investigate what's going on. Once they arrive they will secure the surface with the full support of the Air Force. From there they will proceed into the complex and help the facility's personnel regain their footing. After that they will simply leave and no one will know that anything ever happened."

"Alright, I will back this plan. We need to increase our readiness level just in case this isn't as benign as you seem to think it is General," said Adams who then raised an eyebrow Overbeck's way.

"Yes sir, we are bringing our level to DEFCON 3," replied Overbeck.

Adams stood up from his chair and addressed the Joint Chiefs.

"You will need to be getting back to the Pentagon as you have lots to do. Not a word to anyone else, this conversation never, never leaves this room understood?"

"Yes Mr. President," replied the four officers.

Adams nodded then left the room with Secret Service close on his heels.

_Santego Military Base, Arizona _

"Rise and shine ladies, beauty sleep's over!" shouted private Mitchell Bennett's drill instructor as the lights flashed on and the crowded room was bathed in light from the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling. In a matter of seconds each recruit was standing firmly at attention at the head of their cots.

"Alright maggots we have a special job to do today. I have been informed that we are to…" suddenly alarms began to sound and the intercom blared to life.

"This is General William Overbeck, attention all units stationed at the Santego Military Base we are now at DEFCON 3; all units mobilize for immediate deployment".

"You heard the General go, go, go!" yelled the drill instructor and all the men ran out of the barracks to get their equipment.


	2. Chapter 1: Welcoming Committee

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 1: Welcoming Committee**

_Santego Military Base, Arizona _

Mitchell, fully laden with his combat gear ascended the stairs and climbed into the back of the V22 Osprey transport helicopter. Soon they were climbing into the sky and finally sped eastward. He sat back in his seat and fastened the safety buckles over his shoulders. The room was pitch black save a small pair of red lights on both walls to illuminate the faces of the rest of his team. There were six of them all together, first was their squad leader, a tough as nails sergeant named Sean Corbin, himself, a burly corporal named Rico Valdez, a scrawny little private with glasses called Ryan Roycewicz, a silent and unassuming private given the nickname "Woodstock", and last was a slightly insane private named Dominic Barlow. Mitchell fidgeted in his seat and tried to readjust his Powered Combat Vest to little avail.

"Where the hell are we going anyway?" asked Valdez.

"Last I heard we were going to see the Super Bowl," joked Roycewicz.

"Shut up you little punk before I permanently shut your trap," threatened Valdez.

"You will do no such thing maggot!" ordered Corbin.

"Hey serge why don't we have our orders yet?" asked Barlow.

"We will be briefed with the others teams once we reach our drop off point," answered Corbin.

"Hopefully this will just be a milk run," said Mitchell.

"I doubt it, we're at DEFCON 3, that's got to mean something big is up," noted Roycewicz.

_Washington DC _

"General, what exactly is your backup plan in case this is bigger than we think it is?" asked Adams.

"The Joint Chiefs and I have discussed our options and do have a backup plan in case things go south fast. We will call in the Army to evacuate all of the nearby townships and create a full military blockade. Inside the complex we deal with the threat and get the facility personnel out as quickly as possible."

"Before you continue General, I disagree with your idea to evacuate the personnel. If one of them spills to the media we're dead in the water. I want all the base personnel silenced, except for that Wallace Breen character. I want your men to capture him and get him on a plane to Washington as soon a possible, he has complete knowledge of all of Black Mesa's various projects and he can give us insight into what has happened," interrupted Adams.

"Mr. President I don't believe that this is a wise idea. If the public did manage to find out that we murdered our own people to cover this up it would almost definitely make the situation worse."

"Are you questioning my judgment General?" asked Adams, coldly.

"Sir I just think that we should…" began Overbeck.

"I think that this is the best course of action for us to take and you better implement it. Now continue with your plan," interjected Adams.

"Right away Sir, after that we would proceed to permanently seal off the facility from the rest of the world and then closely monitor the situation from then onwards," finished Overbeck.

Adams nodded his head, he was satisfied with this plan and felt if changes were needed he would voice his opinion.

_V22-Osprey VTOL "Merlin-4" _

"Get ready back there, this is it. We'll be arriving at the drop off point in sixty seconds. Good luck to you all out there," said the pilot of Merlin-4. The side door began to open and the entire room was bathed in sunlight, Mitchell squinted as his eyes adjusted and soon enough he could see the multitude of barren, sand covered plateaus that dotted the New Mexican landscape. Shortly thereafter, a large complex suddenly seemed to appear from the base of one of the many mesas. The chopper stopped and the serge walked toward the exit. He dropped the two coils of black rope out of the chopper and proceeded to grab hold and begin rappelling down to the complex below. Valdez and Roycewicz followed next, then Woodstock and Barlow, last to go was Mitchell. As he gripped the rope and prepared to descend the pilot turned to face him.

"We'll keep her warm for when you guys get back," he chuckled and gave Mitchell a salute. Mitchell returned the salute and began his descent. Once his boot hit the fresh pavement he gathered with the rest of the platoon. Lieutenant Beckman was in the process of issuing their platoon's orders.

"Alright men, these are the battle plans given to us by high command. Sergeant Ironside will command fireteam Lima, their job is to link up with second platoon in the Biodome Complex. Sergeants Farrell and Weston will take their teams, Alpha and Foxtrot respectively and secure the Hydro-Electric Dam. Fireteam Zulu under the command of myself will move to take control of the Lambda Complex, here. Ross's fireteam Delta will storm the Sector C Test Labs while Tango under Ryder will take the Coolant Reserve. Lastly fireteam Yankee under Sergeant Corbin is to proceed to the Administration Offices with a special mission. You are to capture Dr. Wallace Breen, he is the head of this facility and command wants him alive for questioning." He held out a picture which Corbin took and placed in his pocket.

"Move out!" he yelled and all the teams quickly dispersed.

"We're in luck. Since high command wants Breen so badly we've been deployed next to the Office Complex. Lock and load everyone!" ordered Corbin. Mitchell quickly put on his gas mask, placed his helmet on his head and loaded a fresh clip into his M-16 assault rifle. They silently entered through the main door and observed the map at the front desk.

"We just need to follow the green line along the walls," said Barlow. _Are you joking? That's all we have to do? _Thought Mitchell. This would be a cake walk mission, it had trainee written all over it. They followed the green line for about ten minutes before arriving at a door with a brass plaque on the front of it.

Dr. Wallace Breen PhD.

"How do we get him?" asked Valdez.

"I didn't bring three canisters of knockout gas for no reason soldier," replied Corbin. Mitchell pressed his ear up against the door and heard muffled sounds that sounded like hurried footsteps.

_I need to destroy all the documents related to Project X _thought Breen as he gathered all the papers into one extra large manila envelope and sealed it. He then pulled a lighter from his pocket and was about to light the manila envelope on fire when he noticed two small, metallic canisters roll along the floor towards him. Before he could react the canisters released a dense white cloud of smoke. Breen dropped the lighter and the envelope and began to violently cough before collapsing to the floor of his office unconscious.

"Move in men," ordered Corbin and Yankee team moved into the office. Valdez hoisted Breen onto his shoulders and the others covered the door.

"Merlin-4, package has been secured, requesting extraction," said Roycewicz over his headset.

"This is Merlin-4, roger that Yankee, I'll be waiting for you at the drop off point." As Mitchell surveyed the area one last time he noticed a large manila envelope on the floor next to a lighter. He picked it up and signaled to the serge.

"What do you have there soldier?" he asked Mitchell.

"I have no idea sir. All I know is that Breen tried to burn it, I found a lighter right beside it" reported Mitchell.

"Then it must be important" said Corbin. He then took the envelope and led the squad back down the hall to the main lobby. Soon they were back outside and were loading an unconscious Breen onto the Osprey. The serge handed the pilot the package.

"What's this?" asked the pilot.

"We don't know for sure but my guess is that it has to do with what's going on here" said Corbin.

"What next sir?" asked Barlow.

"We leave" replied Corbin, simply.

"Wait a minute, I have General Overbeck on the horn, he's addressing you guys specifically" informed the pilot.

"Gentlemen, you are to be commended for apprehending Wallace Breen. We will analyze those documents you recovered as well. However you are not finished your mission yet, I want you to link up with fireteams Bravo, Oscar, Charlie and Sierra. Your current objective is to secure the Administration Complex. After that fortify it and wait for further orders, also all Black Mesa Personnel must be silenced."

"Silenced, sir may I ask why?" inquired Mitchell.

"No you may not soldier" snapped Overbeck before cutting transmission.

"Well you heard the man, let's move out marines," ordered Corbin and the squad moved back into the complex as the Osprey lifted off and flew away. They proceeded back down to the offices and sat down in a lounge waiting for the other teams to arrive. Shortly afterward Oscar and Charlie teams arrived and they began setting up their blockades at each entrance to the sector. As Mitchell looked up after putting another sandbag down he noticed shadows around the corner of the hallway. He pulled out his M-16 and aimed it near where the shadows were.

"Show yourselves!" he yelled and another marine team rounded the corner.

"Jesus kid, you're jumping at shadows. You do realize that nothing's happening here, we haven't seen any hostile creatures, just a bunch of panicked scientists. We're Bravo team just for your information" said the squad leader.

_Two hours later… _

"Where the hell is Sierra team?" wondered Mitchell. No one had any idea, they were supposed to have arrived hours ago.

"I don't like the looks of this" said Valdez. Suddenly everyone's headsets blared with static.

"This is sergeant Benjamin Denvers, we've got contacts only, they're not humans, and they're just ripping us apart. Help us augghh!" he managed to scream out before the transmission turned to static.

"Sergeant Denvers do you copy, sergeant Denvers do you read me?" asked Corbin over the comm. channel.

"Alright Bennett, Roycewicz and Valdez, we've pinpointed the location of the transmission. Go there and find out what the hell is going on" commanded Corbin.

"Yes sir," they all answered in unison and left to follow the beacon on their GPS navigators. The source of the transmission was not far from their camp and as the yellow dot approached all became dead silent. Mitchell looked up and saw a large blood smear on the wall that lead around the corner. As he rounded the corner he nearly dropped his GPS in shock. Decorating the walls and ceilings was the blood of Sierra team, their bodies scattered across the tiled floor. Mitchell, Roycewicz and Valdez put away their GPS systems and readied their assault rifles.

"Come in Bennett, what the hell is happening down there?" demanded Corbin.

"Sir we found Sierra team, they're all dead."


	3. Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests**

_Sector D Administration Complex, Black Mesa Research Facility, New Mexico _

Valdez, Roycewicz and Mitchell began the uncomfortable task of searching Sierra team's bodies for intel that could possibly give them some insight into what happened to them. They took the dog tags of each one of the bodies and began to pack up when Valdez found something.

"Hey look guys, I found a headset on this guy and it has a video camera attached to it," he said and eased the headset off the dead GIs head. They then headed back to the command post to give sergeant Corbin the headset. As they approached they signaled to the sentries to allow them in and headed to the temporary field headquarters set up in the lounge. They had reconfigured the room to suit their own purposes such as clearing the microwave off the counter and putting away the plates and cups that had the Black Mesa logo on them. They had set up their field equipment such as their four squad radios as well as their memory card reader that could gather data and video feed from the chips in their headsets.

"What happened to them?" asked Corbin when they arrived. Valdez simply handed him the headset.

"This has a video camera on it and we think that it could show us what happened as opposed to us just guessing," said Valdez.

"Lets find out shall we?" answered Corbin before pressing a tiny button on the headset and ejecting the memory card. He slipped it into the receiver on the reader and typed a series of commands on a laptop that they had salvaged from one of the offices. The three other squad leaders gathered around to watch. There was a lot of harsh static before the video cleared up. The camera man was at the rear of the group as they proceeded down the exact same hallway that they found the bodies in.

"How much further is this place serge?" asked one of the men.

"Very close now, so stop your incessant whining Griggs!" snapped the serge. They all heard a sudden sound, it sounded like soft squeaking and chirping.

"Serge, listen," said one of the marines and all of them raised their gaze to the ceiling.

"I have a bad feeling about this sir," said one of the others, nervously.

Suddenly the ceiling collapsed above them and dust temporarily obscured the view from the camera. Strange screeching noises could be heard as well as sporadic gunfire. Once the dust cleared the men could see the squad standing over two dead things that look vaguely like dead chickens.

"What are those serge?" asked one marine.

"I don't know I haven't seen anything like this before," replied the serge as he rolled the creature onto its back with a kick of his boot. As suddenly as the strange aliens appeared one marine was blown to pieces by a green lightning blot. In a matter of seconds the entire fireteam was overwhelmed by strange brown aliens each with one single orange eye and a third arm growing out of its chest. One of the aliens peered into the camera before it was enveloped in static.

"We need to send this to command," said the leader of Bravo team.

"You're right, they need to know about this," agreed Corbin who then typed in a series of commands which brought up General Overbeck on the screen.

"What is it soldier?" he asked, impatiently.

"Sir, we have something you need to see," said the leader of Charlie team.

_Washington DC _

Adams sat at his desk in the Oval Office and sipped a cup of coffee while reading over all the documents the CIA had on Black Mesa and Breen. Without warning Overbeck marched in through the doors of the office followed by Adams secretary.

"Mr. President, I told him to wait outside," said the secretary, exasperated.

"That's alright Gloria, just continue on," he told her. As she left Adams turned to face the General.

"What is it?" he asked, simply.

"Sir my men have captured Breen and they have also secured a slew of documents that Breen was trying to destroy. They are most likely related to the "Project X" mentioned in Dr. Rosenberg's distress call".

"Where are Breen and these documents now?" Adams asked.

"They should be arriving at Andrews Air Force Base within ten minutes Mr. President" answered Overbeck.

"There is something else Mr. President. We received live video feed from one of our fireteams on the ground, you need to come with me to the Pentagon and see it" informed the General.

"Alright, let's go," agreed Adams.

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"Replay the last portion," ordered Adams. The feed rewound and he watched the alien peer into the camera before it turned to static.

"What were they doing down there?" asked Adams.

"That's the thing Mr. President, we have no idea," stated Overbeck.

"Sir, Breen has just landed," informed one of his aides.

"Bring him here, we need to talk" said Adams.

_Five minutes later… _

Adams stared at Breen through the window into the interrogation room. He was strangely quiet and calm, sitting at the table tapping his foot on the floor and drumming his fingers on the stainless steel tabletop in front of him.

"Mr. President," came a sharp, cold voice from behind him. Adams nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to see Lawrence Ashford, director of the CIA standing right behind him.

"Has he said anything yet?" asked Adams.

"No sir, nothing important or relevant at least" replied Ashford in disappointment.

"How are those documents coming along?" asked Adams.

"They're all just letters to Breen from an unknown colleague; he signs all the papers as your mutual friend. However we did find a copy of Breen's hard drive in the envelope with the letters," informed Ashford.

"Is this Project X on that hard drive?" inquired Adams.

"I have my top analyst, decoding the hard drive now; he tells me it will be another couple for hours before he can access Breen's private files," noted Ashford.

_CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia _

CIA analyst Leonard Wright sat down at his computer and gulped down the last of the coffee from his white, CIA mug. He quickly opened up the window which had the decoding program on it and got back to figuring it out. Before he could do anything else Ashford's face popped up on a separate window.

"How is it coming Wright?" asked the director, impatiently.

"It's not as simple as you think it is sir, sure it's easier than Kryptos but I still need another hour," he said.

"One hour is all I have to give you, Wright," answered Ashford before the window closed itself. He loosened his tie and cracked his knuckles it was time to get to work.

_One hour later… _

_Finished, _thought Wright, relieved.

"Now let's see what you're hiding from us" he said before opening Breen's files. As the text and images flashed across the screen Wright knocked his fresh cup of hot java off the table, the brown contents staining the carpeted floor.

_No way, unbelievable, the director needs to see this,_ thought Wright as he established a connection to the Pentagon.

"What is it Wright, are you finished the decoding process?" demanded Ashford.

"Yes I am sir, I'm sending the files to you now" replied Wright.

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"Mr. President we have finished decoding the hard drive, you won't believe what we've found," said Ashford. As Adams viewed the files he gasped in shock and awe.

_My god, what were they doing_? He wondered.


	4. Chapter 3: Escalation

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 3: Escalation**

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"Tell us exactly what your science teams were doing down there Breen," demanded Ashford.

"Simple tests and routine experiments," replied Breen, calmly.

"Routine experiments, you call these routine experiments?" shot back Ashford and threw printed copies of the files onto the table in front of Breen. Adams noticed beads of sweat beginning to trickle down Breen's forehead as he thought of an appropriate response.

"Alright, Alright, I'll tell you!" he said, finally submitting himself.

"We were at work on a top secret experiment," he began.

"Project X?" asked Ashford.

"Yes, Project X, it was a revolutionary project. We managed to create a series of linked portals from place to place within our facilities. We also managed to connect our relays with an inter-dimensional 'border-world' if you will. My contractor designated this alien world as Xen."

"Who were you working for? The Russians, the Chinese?" asked Ashford.

"No, no not any foreign power. I still don't fully know who they are, they contact me by way of one man," Breen answered.

"Can you describe this man for me?" asked Ashford.

"Let me see… He is tall and thin, he has black hair always styled in the form of a crew cut. He has these piercing green eyes, every time I've spoken with him or seen him he wears a blue suit and always carries around a briefcase."

"Do you know his name?" asked Ashford.

"No, he has never told me his name. He introduces himself as either a friend or as a G-man," replied Breen.

"I see, now please continue to enlighten us in great detail about your Project X," requested Ashford.

"After we discovered Xen we began to send survey teams there to investigate the alien world and to bring back live specimens for experimentation. They brought back many different creatures, plants and crystals. The contractor placed a significant amount of interest into the study of the crystals. We conducted several tests with these crystals but got no where. Today we conducted a very important test because we were provided with the purest sample we had ever seen. So, in my vanity I told the team to increase the power level on the Anti-Mass Spectrometer from the normal operating level of eighty percent to one hundred and five percent. Then everything went to hell, it seems the additional power caused some form of reaction with the Xenian crystal which caused it to tear a large inter-dimensional rift between Earth and Xen. Those things your men are fighting are aliens from another universe," he finished.

"Jesus," was all the President could muster. _How could this have gone on completely without us knowing_? He wondered.

"Ashford, we need all the information we can get on this 'G-man' character. I want your people to dissect all those messages to the letter. See if you can conjure up any security recordings from Breen's hard drive that might have him on them," ordered Adams.

"Yes sir," responded the CIA director before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Adams turned to one of his aides.

"Get me General Overbeck, now," he commanded.

_Sector D Administration Complex, Black Mesa Research Facility, New Mexico _

"This some crazy shit happening here," remarked Valdez as the team sat uncomfortably at their guard post anticipating aliens to pour around the corner at any second. Mitchell sat with his back to the wall, a cup of coffee he had raided from the coffee machine in the lounge in one hand, the other gripping his M-16 tightly with his index finger caressing the trigger. A sudden noise caused Mitchell to jerk upright and put down his Styrofoam coffee cup and grasp the fore grip of his rifle. The brown, one eyed alien made it no further than a few inches around the corner when Valdez ripped it apart with his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Soon more of the brown aliens joined in the fray but were systematically decimated by the combined fire of Yankee team. These aliens seemed to be coordinated to a certain degree as they retreated when Valdez and the others opened fire and attempted to use cover as well.

"Damn, I need more ammo boxes for this thing," said Valdez. Without a second thought Mitchell headed back to the command post to get more ammo for Valdez and everyone else.

"Serge, where are the ammo boxes?" asked Mitchell.

"Serge, serge," he said before turning around the corner to see Corbin lying face down on the ground with one of the dead turkey like aliens attached to his head. _Oh shit _thought Mitchell before noticing several sentry turrets in their crates. He took three out and brought them to the guard post immediately.

"I forgot we even had these things," said Barlow as he and Mitchell set them up behind the sandbags. They then began to set up the laser tripwires that would activate the turrets if crossed. As they finished setting up there was a sickening splat and Barlow dropped to the ground beside Mitchell. The strange new alien was the size of a Labrador retriever and had a series of tentacles protruding from around its mouth. Before it could spit again it was taken down by controlled bursts from Woodstock, and Roycewicz. A grunt of pain from Barlow caused Mitchell to refocus on this new problem; he slung Barlow over his shoulders and carried him back to the command center. As he lay Barlow down he examined the wound, the spit of the alien was extremely corrosive and it had completely eaten through Barlow's PCV as well as his skin and Mitchell could see his ribs and internal organs through the hole the acid had melted. Barlow weakly reached into his PCV and produced his dog tag which he then gave to Mitchell before his life faded away.

"Hey, what happened to serge?" asked Valdez.

"I honestly have no idea. When I came back for supplies I found him like this," replied Mitchell.

"We need to get that thing off his head," said Valdez.

"Here let me try I have some medical skills," suggested Roycewicz. He turned Corbin over and stumbled backwards at the grotesque sight. Corbin was drenched in blood, his hands had mutated into long sharp claws, and his ribcage had burst open tearing his PCV revealing all of his internal organs which were swollen and stained yellow. After a few tense seconds Roycewicz cautiously approached Corbin's body, pulled out his combat knife and was about to cut the alien off when Corbin made a strange sound. Before anyone could react Corbin grabbed Roycewicz and began to tear him apart. Mitchell cringed and looked away as Roycewicz screams reached their pinnacle before being drowned out by the sound of Corbin screaming. Mitchell turned to face Corbin, lifted his rifle and placed six 5.56 mm rounds into the Corbin's head. The 'zombie' made a strange gurgling sound fell to the ground dead. Shortly after several marines from Charlie, Oscar, and Bravo teams arrived to see what happened.

"We heard gunfire and came to see what happened," said one of the marines.

"Our team is down to three now what about yours?" asked Mitchell.

"Bravo team is down to me and one other guy," reported the soldier from Bravo team.

"We still have four men," said the marine from Oscar team.

"I'm all that's left of Charlie team," stated the last soldier.

"We need to fall back and hold our position here. We will deploy these turrets to guard the hallways from here on out," said Mitchell. The other marines nodded and grabbed the remaining turrets. Mitchell turned around and switched on the tactical radio.

"Overbeck here," said the General on the other end.

"This is Private Mitchell Bennett of Yankee team sir," informed Mitchell.

"Yes what is it Bennett?" asked Overbeck.

"Sir we've taken severe losses, we can't hold out much longer, we need reinforcements," informed Mitchell.

"I know private; we've gotten reports from all the other remaining teams. We're pulling out; the Black Ops are going to take it from here son. Get your people to the surface now, we're leaving."


	5. Chapter 4: Extraction

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 4: Extraction**

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"I've ordered all the remaining HECU teams to evacuate," informed Overbeck.

"Good work General. Now I want to know what is left for us to do?" asked Adams.

"Well sir, we send in several Black Ops teams to try and clean this up," replied Overbeck.

"Breen said the aliens won't stop coming until we close that portal," repeated Adams.

"Then how do we stop them?" questioned Overbeck. Adams placed his hands on either end of the desk and stared at his shiny dress shoes.

"There is only one way to stop them. We need to evacuate all of the nearby towns and communities. We're going to wipe out Black Mesa with a thermonuclear warhead," Adams stated.

"Sir you can't be serious…" began Overbeck.

"If we don't stop them now even more lives are at risk!" retaliated Adams, harshly.

"I'll discuss this with the Joint Chiefs," said Overbeck before turning and leaving.

_Sector D Administration Complex, Black Mesa Research Facility, New Mexico _

Mitchell helped the last living member of Charlie team set up the laser tripwires for the turrets and headed back with the remaining members of the teams. There were three members from Oscar team, two from Bravo, one from Charlie and three from Yankee left, all the squad leaders had been KIA. The remaining soldiers gathered up all their spare supplies and began to leave the Administration Complex. As Mitchell moved quietly down the halls, he noticed that the entire base had been heavily damaged since he last ventured there, over five hours ago. He slowed down as they approached another bend in the hallway and raised a hand to signal the others to stop as well. He didn't even need to peer around the corner before a loud, unnatural roar echoed from around the corner.

"We're screwed, we're screwed. I'm getting out of here," said one of the marines, panicked. He sprinted around the corner and all that could be heard were his screams and the same roar. The remaining eight marines readied their assault rifles and charged around the corner. They can face to face with a seven foot tall, armoured behemoth. It vaguely resembled the brown aliens as it had a third arm growing from its chest however it was far bigger and had a grayish complexion. Valdez immediately began firing his M249 SAW at the new alien. The 5.56 mm rounds harmlessly bounced of thick armour of the creature. It slowly walked up and punched Valdez right in the stomach; Mitchell could hear his bones snap like twigs as he was sent flying backwards and smashed hard into the concrete wall behind them. The remaining marines fanned out and began hitting the creature from all sides with their weapons. Mitchell pulled the pin on a grenade and lobbed it at the creature. The explosive landed at its feet and blew it apart when it exploded.

"Clear!" yelled one marine and the survivors assembled in the middle of the hall. They took the dog tags off of Valdez, and another soldier that was killed by one of the creature projectiles. They looked down at the body of the marine who panicked and ran ahead, the creature had crushed his skull. After gathering ammo and any other possessions, the group continued on to the LZ.

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"Mr. President, the Joint Chiefs and I have agreed that a nuclear strike is the most effective solution to this situation," informed Overbeck.

"How long before we can detonate?" asked Adams.

"Approximately two hours sir. We have our Black Ops teams on the ground and ready to arm the device within minutes of you giving the word. We will immediately begin the evacuation of all nearby cities and towns," Overbeck stated.

"Order them to activate the warhead, General," commanded the President.

_Santa Fe, New Mexico _

Alejandro Garcia felt the incessant and painful pounding in his head as someone banged on the door. He walked to the door in only his boxers and an undershirt.

"What do you want Rico?" he asked as he opened the door. Instead of Rico however there was a soldier. He grabbed Alejandro by the shoulder and pulled his outside into the bright morning sun.

"What's the meaning of this? I did nothing, honest!" he pleaded to one of the soldiers.

"We're evacuating the city; there is a very dangerous situation nearby and we're getting the civilians out now come with us," said the soldier and Alejandro walked with him to a nearby M35 Cargo Truck. He was loaded into the back along with all of his neighbors. As the truck sped towards the outskirts of the city Alejandro saw a convoy of M2 Bradleys and several M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks.

_What's going on_? He wondered to himself.

_Sector D Administration Complex, Black Mesa Research Facility, New Mexico _

Mitchell could almost smell the fresh air as the seven remaining marines reached the lobby. The entire room was strewn with the corpses of marines, aliens, scientists and security guards. They found the door blocked off by a large beam of concrete that had fallen from one of the supports, much to their dismay. One of the other marines managed to remedy the situation through the careful application and use of several C4 satchel charges. As they exited they breathed in fresh air and felt the glare of the morning sunrise, there were marines bustling back and forth across the area. Tanks and APCs were beginning to depart down the main road to the airport. Troops were being ferried onto Ospreys and the wounded were carried on board on stretchers by field medics. Mitchell could see Merlin-4 seemingly waiting for them; he and the other marines hopped on and got strapped in.

"Good to see you again. Like I promised, we did keep her warm for you guys," smiled the pilot. As Mitchell settled into his seat he took off his gas mask and let the cool air bombard his sweat-covered face. Shortly afterward Merlin-4 rose into the air and began to fly west, back to Santego.

"We made it; I can't believe we made it!" said Woodstock. Mitchell stared at him for a few seconds; this was the first time he had heard the boy talk since he met him a few months ago. As Mitchell stared out of the open side door he saw several black Ospreys and black AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. _They must be black ops_ thought Mitchell to himself. Almost out of nowhere the Osprey began to shake as supersonic jets flew by, however when Mitchell looked out to catch a glimpse of them he saw something frightening. It looked like a giant flying Manta Ray like the ones that are at the zoo except it was massive, about the size of the Osprey and it could fly. Suddenly the entire hold shook and fire exploded out of the vents on the ceiling. The VTOL began to spin wildly as the pilots fought with the controls.

"We're losing control!" screamed the pilot as he frantically tired to regain control the spiraling aircraft. Right before Mitchell's eyes he watched as Woodstock, who was standing up the entire time fell out of the side door and could be heard screaming as he continued to fall. Alarms sounded and emergency lights flickered on as the chopper picked up speed as it plummeted toward the ground.

"Brace yourselves!" yelled the pilot second before impact. Moments later there was a loud crunch as the safety belts ripped themselves out of the wall and Mitchell was flung out of his seat. His head smashed into the iron wall on the other side and immediately blacked out.


	6. Chapter 5: Repercussions

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 5: Repercussions**

_The Pentagon, Washington DC _

"Mr. President, the Black Ops teams and the remaining HECU units are out of the blast zone and all nearby townships within fallout radius have been evacuated," reported Overbeck.

"Good, good. How long until detonation? " asked Adams.

"Two minutes sir," replied the General.

"Bring me the live feed from our satellites," ordered Adams. Shortly afterward an image appeared on the screen which appeared to show only barren desert. _What have I done? _Thought Adams to himself.

_Somewhere in the New Mexico desert, near the Black Mesa Research Facility _

Inside the shattered and blackened remains of Merlin-4, Private Mitchell Bennett slowly regained consciousness. He was lying in the middle of the cargo hold, swimming in a large pool of blood which he realized was his own. He could hear and feel his heart beat slowly in his ears as he tried to get to his feet. After several unsuccessful attempts he managed to stand up a look around, all the other soldiers who were not thrown out of the Osprey were all dead, victims of severe whiplash. Both the pilot and the co pilot were killed in the crash, the latter being skewered by a large piece of one of the rotors. With much pain Mitchell managed to climb out of the crashed helicopter and stagger out into the sunlight. He looked down to asses the gravity of his injuries, during the crash he had landed on something which had ripped apart his PCV and had also mangled his innards. He could see a large hole in the side of his chest with a constant stream of blood bubbling out of it. He managed to stumble on a bit longer before finally collapsing again and landing on the burning hot sand. He could taste blood in his mouth and spit some out onto the sand. He looked up at the sky and realized what a nice day it was; he turned his attention back in the direction of Black Mesa. Before he could even think there was the brightest flash Mitchell had ever seen and a roar so loud that it popped his ear drums. He watched the mushroom cloud rapidly ascend into the sky before his body was vaporized by the intense wave of searing heat.

_The Pentagon, Washington DC_

Adams watched the footage from the satellite over and over as it was played on a loop. He buried his head in his hands and thought about what he had just done. One of his aides sat down beside him.

"Sir you're going to have to explain this to the press," he said. He would also need to explain the situation to the UN as well.

"I want you to call an emergency meeting of the United Nations, they need to know what has happened," said Adams.

"Very well Mr. President" replied the aide as he got up and left. Adams got out of his chair, picked up the universal remote off of one of the nearby coffee tables and flipped on CNN.

"Good morning America and welcome to the Situation Room, I'm Wolf Blitzer. We are receiving reports of a nuclear explosion somewhere in the New Mexico desert. Let's go now to our New Mexican correspondent Matt Geiger live from Santa Fe, what can you tell us right now Matt?"

"Well Wolf not much is known about the incident at this time. All we know for certain is that there was a nuclear explosion near here about twenty odd minutes ago. You can even see a faint outline of the mushroom cloud from here, civilians have been evacuated and Santa Fe is virtually deserted except for some Army units in full radiation gear. We will need to leave soon Wolf because the radioactive fallout will reach here very soon".

"Matt do we have any ideas as to what caused this historical catastrophe?" asked Wolf.

"All we can do is speculate right now Wolf; this could have been an accident or possibly a terrorist attack. All we know for sure is that there has been a nuclear blast here in the New Mexico desert, no word from the Pentagon or the White House on the issue yet but we are expecting President Adams to address the nation within the next few hours."

"Thank you Matt, we are also receiving new details that President Adams has called an emergency summit of the UN Security Council to New York immediately," reported Wolf.

Adams turned the screen off and began to mull over what to say in front of the UN delegation when General Overbeck rushed into the room and drew his attention away.

"Sir we have a new problem, you need to see this," he said.

_Two minutes later… _

"What is it?" demanded Adams to the seismologists as he entered the room.

"Sir we are reading strange seismic activity coming from the blast zone," reported one of the scientists.

"Get Breen in here now!" he ordered Overbeck. Shortly afterwards Breen was escorted in by a pair of burly MPs.

"Breen, can you tell us what is happening out there?" asked Adams. Breen scanned over the monitors and checked the readings for himself before gasping.

"It can't possibly be," he told himself.

"It can't possibly be what Breen? I'm running out of patience very quickly" informed Adams as he began to shake slightly.

"It appears while you managed to wipe out Black Mesa and all living things in it you also have created something far worse. You see originally there was only one interdimensional rift between Xen and Earth, you managed to close it somehow. Now however it seems as though the nuclear explosion has caused further deterioration in the membrane of space that divides the dimensions that the Earth and Xen respectively occupy."

"Speak in terms that the rest of us understand please?" asked Adams, as politely as he possibly could.

"Sir, take a look at this, unbelievable," remarked one of the scientists. Breen, Overbeck and Adams assembled around the monitor and watched as a blue shockwave emanated out of thin air and spread across the desert before finally disappearing after moving roughly two miles. Adams turned to face Breen who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"What the Hell was that?" Adams demanded, hotly.

"This is what I was trying to explain to you before. We speculated this particular phenomenon in our labs. Essentially what just happened was a randomized event that just created a temporary, yet extremely powerful portal. These 'Portal Storms' if you will originated from our experiment to Xen so all these portal storms are temporary gates from Xen to Earth."

"So your saying that the aliens in Black Mesa could end up in New Mexico," Adams assessed.

"No, no of course not, these portal storms will likely occur at a very frequent rate and all over the Earth," theorized Breen. Adams beckoned for one of his aides to come over to him.

"Inform all of the embassies that their leaders must convene in New York in exactly sixteen hours," he told his aide, who then left to notify the embassies. He sat down in his chair and lay his head on the table. After a short while he got up and dragged Breen along behind him.

"Where are we going?" asked Breen, quizzically.

"You're coming with me to New York and you are going to explain the situation to the UN summit when we get there," informed Adams. Before Breen could protest they were ushered out of the Pentagon and into the President's limo by Secret Service.

_Sixteen hours later, the UN Headquarters, New York City _

Adams straightened his tie and combed his hair once last time before he and Breen were set to stand at the podium in front of the rest of the council to explain what had happened. The doors opened and Adams walked into the room followed closely by Breen and their translator. Adams sat down at the seat with the name plate United States in front of it. Arrayed around him were the other fourteen members of the UN Security Council. China, Japan, India, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Russia, the Ukraine, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. As the conference began Adams immediately took the stand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the United Nations Security Council, as you already know there was an incident in New Mexico early this morning. This was not a terrorist attack; it was something else entirely. My associate Dr. Wallace Breen is here to explain the present situation." Adams sat down and Breen took the stand, he readjusted his collar and cleared his throat before beginning.

"As all of you know there was a nuclear explosion in New Mexico. This explosion was the result of an experiment that was conducted early the previous morning. It went horribly wrong; aliens invaded the Black Mesa Research Facility where the experiment took place." Before Breen could continue there was a burst of laughter from Vasili Kutusov, the President of Russia. He told something to his aide in Russian who translated it into English.

"Mr. Kutusov does not believe your alien story, he thinks it is simply pure nonsense," translated the interpreter. Adams leaned over to his own translator.

"Tell Mr. Kutusov we have live video feed from ground zero with us if he would like to see it," Adams instructed to his aide. His aide translated the message to Kutusov whose joking smile turned sour in seconds. Adams indulged himself in a little satisfaction; he couldn't stand Kutusov and wouldn't have invited him if Russia wasn't on the Council. He didn't travel to Russia a whole lot because he couldn't stomach Kutusov long enough for a summit to be productive. The two large monitors turned on and played the live feed that was retrieved by Yankee team from the bodies of Sierra team. It was the exact same footage he had seen in the Pentagon nearly twenty four hours earlier. The faces of all the world leaders and their respective translators paled as the grim footage continued rolling until finally cutting out. After the feed cut out Breen continued his explanation.

"Now these aliens come from an interdimesional 'border world' known to us as Xen. My science team was conduction experimental teleportation sequences in order the reach Xen and study it. We sent survey teams there to bring back Xenian flora, fauna, and geological specimens for studying. We even went as far to recreate a typical Xenain ecosystem in our Biodome Complex. One of our teams brought back a rare and very pure crystal from Xen, specimen GG-3883 and we decided it analyze it in our Anti-Mass Spectrometer. As soon as the beam touched the crystal there was a horrible reaction which caused a large tear to form in between Xen and Earth causing their life forms to spill out over into our world. Now we assumed that we could close the tear by way of the nuclear explosion which theoretically could close the breach and save us. We succeeded, however while this closed the rift, it further destabilized the 'membrane' between Earth and Xen and it now causing 'Portal Storms'. These are essentially random events that create large and unstable portals that will die out quickly but can teleport large amounts of Xenain wildlife to Earth" Breen concluded. Hong Lin, the President of the People's Republic of China began speaking in Mandarin. Adams translator was working hard to keep up with him.

"What do you suggest we do then, we can't sit and do nothing," he said. At this juncture François Beliveau, the President of France spoke up.

"We must act now before something worse happens!" he demanded. Otto Schumacher, the Chancellor of Germany agreed with Beliveau and soon the entire council was agreed that a new branch of the UN should be formed. After several intense hours of debate, an agreement was reached and the United Nations Xen Control Agency was born.


	7. Chapter 6: Quarantine

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 6: Quarantine**

_Two weeks later, Serbka Ukraine, Near District 217 formerly Odessa, UNXCA European Branch _

A large rumbling woke Leonid Sevchenko from his deep sleep on his soft, warm and comfortable bed. He got up and poured himself some fresh coffee that his Valentina had made for him. A sudden knock on the door caused him to spill the hot java all over his new carpet. He slowly approached the door and opened it, outside were two soldiers dressed in full combat gear with the United Nations Xen Task Force falcon insignia stitched onto their sleeves. One soldier stepped up to face him and held out a white piece of paper, it was an eviction notice.

"You will gather any personal belongings and come with us. The rest of your items will be removed from this house and returned to you at your new home in District 217" informed the soldier.

"Yes, yes we'll be along in a few minutes," Leonid told the man who simply nodded. Leonid quietly closed the door and turned to face Valentina whose deep blue eyes expressed fear. Sensing her trepidation he calmly walked over to her and reassured her that everything would be fine. They hurried and packed up all their essential items into tow large suitcases and walked back to the door. The soldier was still standing there when Leonid opened the door and began to walk with Valentina towards the awaiting BTR-80 that would transport them to Odessa, recently renamed District 217. Leonid was about halfway to the transport when a loud commotion erupted behind him he quickly turned to see that Valentina had thrown her suitcase at the soldier walking with her and had made a dash for the woods. The second soldier readied his AK-47 assault rifle and took aim.

"No, let her go," ordered the squad's leader. On his command the soldier lowered his rifle and ushered Leonid into the back of the transport.

_One hour later, District 217 formerly Odessa, Ukraine, UNXCA European Branch _

After a long, cramped ride with a squad of fully equipped infantry and a load of civilian passengers Leonid finally could see sunlight and breathe in fresh, cool air. He stepped out of the transport and onto the cobblestone streets of District 217. The streets were bustling with people passing by on their way to work. Leonid mingled into a large crowd of people and continued on into the city, he noticed that there were armed soldiers at every intersection and a large number of helicopters flying air patrol over the city. Leonid walked up to a pair of soldiers who were carefully eyeing the intersection of Bazarna and Uspens'kyi In.

"Excuse me?" Leonid asked timidly. The two soldiers turned around and faced him, they were both large, burly men, roughly twice as large as himself.

"What can we do for you?" one of them asked, politely.

"I've just arrived, where do I go now?" he asked the man.

"You will need to go to the nearest relocation and resettlement center which is just down the street. It's the first building on the left; they'll get you on the right foot".

"Alright, thank you," he said and rejoined the large crowd on his way to the relocation center. He slowly ascended the pristine marble steps of the building, entered and joined the long line of new citizens waiting to get their relocation papers and their apartment keycards.

"Next," came the voice of the clearly tired and bored clerk at the front desk. Leonid walked up to the desk and waited for the man to look up.

"Your name please?" he asked.

"Leonid Sevchenko," Leonid answered.

"Sevchenko, Sevchenko," muttered the clerk as his dull eyes surveyed the incredibly long list of names on his computer's database.

"Leonid Sevchenko, born December 4th 1985 in Kiev, your citizen ID number is 684203945961," the clerk read off of his profile. He quickly printed a copy of Leonid's relocation papers and stamped them to prove he had been registered as a citizen in District 217.

"Here is the keycard for your apartment. You are in block 23, unit 56, have a nice day," said the clerk as Leonid took his card and left the building. He took out his keycard and flipped it over, it at a GPS installed into the back so he could find his apartment. After about an hour of walking with the temperature rapidly decreasing Leonid quietly entered apartment block 23 and began to look for unit 56, which he found on the third floor. He methodically swiped the keycard and entered his new home. It was a small apartment with a kitchen, sitting room, one bathroom and one bedroom. All of his furniture had already been brought up and unpacked for him; _those guys are fast _he thought to himself before walking over to his bed and opening the top drawer of his bedside table. He took out his book and when he opened it his bookmark fell out and onto the floor. He bent down, picked it up and held it in his hand. It was a picture of Valentina, taken only a few months ago. Before his mind had the opportunity to wander there came a loud knock on the door. Leonid placed the picture on his bed and got up to answer the door, he slowly opened the door and before he could even say anything a man stumbled into the apartment.

"Can I help you?" Leonid asked as calmly as he could. The man carried with him the intoxicating smell of alcohol as he got to his feet and tried to reply.

"Can, can, can I use your bathroom please?" he asked groggily.

"Sure, I rather you use the toilet rather than get it all over my carpet," answered Leonid.

"Thanks man, you're awesome!" said the stranger and he slowly shuffled to the bathroom. Moments later the sounds of violent vomiting could be heard from behind the closed bathroom door. Shortly afterward the man exited the bathroom and sat down on one of Leonid's chairs and turned on the TV.

"So where do you live?" asked Leonid.

"Oh, I'm sorry this is a little abrupt. I've been down at the bar having a few drinks," began the man.

"I can see that," muttered Leonid under his breath.

"I'm Evgeni Chernenko, I live in unit 57 just next door," he told Leonid.

"How long have you been living here?" asked Leonid.

"All of my life" replied Evgeni. "It is actually quite nice and comfortable here, once you get used to the tight security. I mean no one leaves the city except for armed convoys that are sent out periodically to get more people from the countryside."

"So there is no way to leave the city at all?" asked Leonid, who listened intently to every word Evgeni spoke.

"Well I guess you could try and sneak out if you really wanted to but that's next to impossible and besides, even if you did manage to escape there's nothing out there with the exception of a few savage outposts," he informed Leonid.

"Valentina is out there," said Leonid.

"I'm sorry, who's out there?" asked Evgeni who was starting to get confused.

"My woman is out there and I need to find her," said Leonid.

"Whoa there, cool your jets Rambo. How do you plan to escape from the city? You've only been here for a day," noted Evgeni.

"I know that and that's why you're going to help me," replied Leonid with a grin.


	8. Chapter 7: Escape

**The Fall of Earth **

**Chapter 7: Escape**

_Twenty-four hours later, Apartment Block 23, Unit 56, District 217, UNXCA European Branch _

The hard rap of knuckles on the door attracted Leonid's gaze from the mass of pictures he had taken the city walls that were scattered across his small dining table. The sun had largely set and the room was bathed in utter darkness with the exception of the small desk lamp that Leonid had brought with him. He stood up and slowly approached the door, he opened the door quietly and Evgeni entered the apartment.

"So what do you have for me?" asked Leonid as he closed the door.

"Well I managed to get one of the convoy schedules from one of the soldiers," said Evgeni and he handed Leonid a file with all the schedules in it.

"How did you manage that?" he asked Evgeni with curiosity.

"Well I found the soldier who had them passed out with his head in one of the toilets at the bar and I felt he wouldn't need them anymore," he answered slyly.

"Excellent, let's get to work" said Leonid.

_District 217 Civil Monitoring Bureau Head Office, District 217, UNXCA European Branch _

"How do you plan on escaping Leonid?" asked Evgeni. Communications officer Vasiliy Andreyev perked up at those words. He quickly summoned his immediate superior to his desk.

"Yes, Vasiliy what is it" he demanded.

"Sir you're going to want to hear this," he replied and handed over the earphones to the man. A few moments later he put down the headphones and cracked his knuckles.

"Shall I dispatch a team to apprehend them sir?" asked Vasiliy.

"Do it," responded the officer.

_Five minutes later, Apartment Block 23, Unit 56, District 217, UNXCA European Branch _

"I think that if you can successfully disguise yourself as one of the soldiers and get onto one of the convoy vehicles you should make it," said Evgeni.

"Right, the next convoy leaves tomorrow at 7:00 pm, I will be ready by then," informed Leonid.

"Well, good luck" wished Evgeni as he closed the door and left the apartment. Leonid got up from the table and took the picture of Valentina out of his pocket; he kissed it softly and began to put it back when a flash grenade shattered the glass of one of his windows. He heard a ringing in his ears and a sharp pain in his eyes as his retinas were overloaded with light. As he stumbled aimlessly around the room several soldiers rappelled through the other windows and into the apartment.

"UNXCA get on the ground now sir!" yelled one of the soldiers. Leonid had regained enough of his senses to grab one of Evgeni's empty Vodka bottles and smashed it over the head of one of the soldiers who momentarily stepped back. With the bottle gone Leonid managed to grab his kitchen knife and began swinging it at the soldiers. One of them pulled out his taser and managed to hit Leonid with two electrified darts. Leonid dropped to his knees just long enough for another soldier to knock him out with a blow to the back of the head with the butt end of his AK-47.

_Four hours later, District 217 Detention Centre, UNXCA European Branch _

"Wake…up…Leonid," said an unknown voice through the ringing in his ears. Leonid's vision soon came back into focus and he came face to face with a fat man who reeked of sweat.

"So, Leonid Sevchenko you though you could escape this city. Well my friend you are sadly mistaken. You see once you enter District 217 you don't leave, it's merely a safety precaution."

"A safety precaution, A safety precaution?!" bellowed Leonid as he struggled in the chair he was tied to.

"You can't keep everyone in here and coop them up, eventually they will want out," he said.

"Well our orders are to keep everyone in and to detain those who try to escape" informed the man.

"You can't do that it's against the Geneva Convention!" screamed Leonid.

"Have a good night Mr. Sevchenko," wished the man before turning around and leaving Leonid alone in his cell with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. He looked up and stared at the guard who was on duty, the man started to become nervous and tried to look away. When his replacement arrived he hurriedly got up and left the room. The new guard walked up to the cell and unlocked it; he stepped into the cell and produced a switchblade. He swiftly cut Leonid's bonds, grabbed him firmly by the collar and marched him out of the room. The soldier who was seated at the front desk stood up when they passed by.

"Hold it right there soldier, where are you taking this prisoner?" he asked, suspiciously.

"I have orders from the boss to take him down for questioning and it's on you if he is kept waiting," replied the other soldier gruffly. The guard at the front desk sat back down and continued to read his book. The soldier marched Leonid outside and down a back road before stopping abruptly and releasing him.

"The boss? I can't believe that actually worked," said the solider with a hint of humour. He took off his helmet and Leonid saw that it was none other than Evgeni.

"How did you find me?" Leonid asked him.

"There's no time for that, it's now 6:56, the convoy out is leaving in four minutes. Quickly take my uniform to disguise yourself" suggested Evgeni and the two of them switched clothes.

"Thank you Evgeni for all that you have done for me," thanked Leonid.

"No problem, best of luck and I hope you find her Leonid," Evgeni said before waving and disappearing into the darkness. Leonid hurried down the depot where the convoys were assembled; he entered the armoury and grabbed an AK-74 off of the rifle rack before climbing into the back of one of the idling BTR 80s. The convoy soon rumbled out of the city and into the countryside before stopping in a small town which was being evacuated. Leonid exited in the APC and slowly melted away into the trees, not one soldier ever realized that one of their comrades was missing.


End file.
